Improved appakatus fob aging and eefhtino wises and liquors



R. 1). TURNER. u APPARATUS FOR AGEING AND RBFINING WINES AND LIQUORS. I

No. 69,275 Patented Sept. 24, 1 867.

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I Letter: Patent ,No. 69,275, dated September 24,1867.

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.Ji TO ALL WHOM I1 MAY oouesnm Be it lthown that I, REUBEN D. TURNER, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful improvemcnt on Apparatus for Aging'and Itefining Wines, Alcoholic Spirits, and other Liquors, of i which the following is a full, clearyand exact description, reference being bad 'to the accompanying drawing,

forming part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 represents a vertical section of an apparatus constructed according to my improvement, and

Figure 2 a horizontal section, in part, through the line a: z infig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding part-s.

I, To simplify the description of or make clearer my improvement, the same will be explained with reference longing and refining wines or other like liquors, with the following-prefatory remarks:

It is an acknowledged principle that thc quality of wines is improved as much or more by what is extracted as by what is put into them also that the some element that :gives them odor gives them also flavor. These remarks apply equally to other liquors. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that this element is volatile, 'andthat the volatile gases or substances composing the same can be separated and controlled in mono. In the ordinary or natural process of aging liquors or wines, the escape of the noxious odoriferous volatile gases is impeded, firstly, by the pressure of the atmosphere, and, secondly, by the attraction of the same to the liquor.

. To expedite the process of aging or refining, it has before been proposed to employ both heat and agitation; but my invention aims at, accomplishing the some in a more perfect or effectual manner by removing the two obstructions specified, and at thcsame time placing the liquor in conditions most favorable to the escape of its volatile flavoring element, the pressure of the atmosphere being removed by treating the wine or liquor in mono,

and throwing it into spray or mist, and, after again collecting it in liquid form, running it into a-thin body or flow over a series of perforated plates, thereby presenting an increased exposure or surface for its treatment,

7 "while the attraction is broken by raising the liquor, during such treatment, to a degree only a little below the vaporizing point, thus setting free the volatile gases, and allowing them to'cscape into the vacuum, from which they may be drawn by pump. V

Having thus specified the object and nature of my improvement, will now proceed to describe it with reference to the accompanying drawing, referring to which, A represents the pipo or pipes for conveying the wine to be treated to one, two, or more vessels B, which are of a close character so far as exposure to the external atihosphcro is conccrned. These vessels are arranged to occupy a position within aracuum-chamber,

C, at or near its top, and are provided internally with an upper perforateddistributing-basin, D, to the wine as p f it is conveyed to said vessel or vessels. An agitator, E, composed of arched or crooked vanes, preferably arranged in a spiral or intermediate manner around it vertical shaft, is made to rotate, by any suitable means, .within said vessel B, the hollow or arched configuration of the vanes occupying an advanced position, so ns'to break up the distributed wine or liquor as it'issucs from the perforated basin D without scattcrin'g or forcing it throughperforations a, mode in tho sides of the vessels B, which establish communication between the interior of said vessels and thevacuum-chamberC, and which perforations are for the purpose of passing off any gases detached from the liquoras it is broken into spray by the agitators, said mist or spray finally resolving itself, at the bottom of the vessels B, into a more compact or liquid form, and escaping, by apertures b, in a thin .stream, on to a tray, F, from which it runs, by an aperture, 0, on to an under inclined tray, F and from thence, through an aperture, d, on to a reversed inclined tray, F and so on forany number of trays, one below the other, all arranged within the vacuum-chamber C, and each having a reversed rim or inclined set to the one immediately above it, with the delivery-apertures at the lower end of them, and further, or for the most part, being provided, with perforations e in their bottom, the liquor ultimately delivering itself into a receiver, G, from which it.may be drawn oil as reqiiiredfl In this way, it will be seen, not-only is an agitation of the wine kept up in-odcgw, but such a, scattered distribution of it in thin layers or streams, and general or enlarged surface exposure of it, as is most'favorablo to the escape of the noxious, odorifcrous, and volatile gases that'may be drawn ofl'by-an air-pump, H, or otherwise, and allowed to pass ofi' either to the 'atmosphere, or.to a condenser for after-treatment. It is'not, however,.by agitation or separation into mist, and after surface distribution or exposure, with the atmospheric pressure removed, that the result sought to be obtained alone is secured, but,

' in addition or conjunction with such treatment, simultaneously subjecting the wine or liquor to a degree of heat but little below its vaporizing point or temperature, whereby the attraction of: the gases to the liquor is broken up, ands freer escape established for the gases by the increase in volume of the liquor, and consequently more open character given to the same. This may be done by surrounding the chamber 0 with ajaeket, I, provided withsuitahle inlet and outlet pipes, and kept to the desired temperature by the circulation through it and round the chamber C of steam, hot water, or other fluid.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The process, substantially as herein described, of treating wine or other liquor in vacuo, and under the influence of heat, by agitating it in a distributed form, so as to convert it into spray, and at'terwardsmirculating 'the same, in a more eompaet or liquid state, in thin layers or streams, essentially as and for the purpose or purposes herein set forth.

2. The combination,-with the vacuum-chamber C, of one or more perforated vessels l3, having perforated receiving-distributors at or near their top, and agitators operating within them, substantially as specified.

3. In combination with the vacuum-chamber C, and vessel or vessels B, having agitators operating within them, of a series of reversely-inclined trays or surface-distributors, arranged for operation in connection with the agitators, essentially as herein set forth.

REUBEN D. TURNER.

Witnesses:

J. W. Oooiuss, G. W. REED. 

